Skyler Bell has spent his first Bills training camp getting tested from every angle, and so far the rookie receiver has handled it like a player who belongs.
Buffalo has not eased him in. The team has moved Bell around the offense, handed him multiple positions and asked him to learn a wide range of routes. That kind of workload can bury a young receiver, but Bell has drawn praise for taking it all in stride.
“We have thrown a ton at him,” Pete Carmichael said on Monday. “We've put him at a ton of different positions, ton of different routes. I mean, we have asked him to do a lot, and he has gone out there and he's done everything we've asked.”
For a rookie trying to break through in an offense that already includes DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, and Dalton Kincaid, that response matters. Carmichael said Bell’s ability to handle different spots and different route responsibilities has been a clear strength, and that the rookie has shown he can keep up mentally as well as physically.
“He's smart. He can play those multiple positions. He can run a lot of routes,” Carmichael said.
Josh Allen has seen the same thing from the quarterback side. Allen said the Bills have been “putting a lot on his plate intentionally” and that Bell has been “excelling really in any spot that we've put him in so far.”
Allen also pointed to what makes Bell so intriguing in Buffalo’s offense. He said Bell has enough speed to work outside and enough quickness and route-running ability to operate from the slot. Allen singled out Bell’s crisp routes and his ability to make plays downfield.
That kind of flexibility gives the Bills another weapon in how they deploy personnel. With Moore, Shakir, and Bell all able to move between the slot and outside, Buffalo can shift formations without changing what it wants to run. Kincaid and Dawson Knox can also be moved around, adding another layer of uncertainty for defenses trying to sort it all out.
Bell’s job now is simple: keep showing he can handle whatever comes next. Carmichael noted that there have been times when Bell has gotten open but the coverage forced the quarterback to go elsewhere, a sign that his separation has stood out even when practice stats don’t tell the full story.
With the preseason approaching, Bell will soon get his first chance to turn those training camp flashes into game production. On the depth chart, he currently sits as the fifth receiver, but a strong showing could open the door to more opportunities as the season goes on.
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